1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to animal husbandry, and in particular to the housing and raising of fowl.
2. The Prior Art
Most fowl raised for human consumption, e.g., chickens and turkeys, as well as breeders for the production of chicks, are housed in large enclosures, commonly called poultry houses. These poultry houses normally include outer walls and a roof, and either solid flooring, slatted flooring, or combinations thereof. Nesting boxes, perches and feeding devices are often, although not always, located within these poultry houses. On the other hand, some fowl are raised in outdoor areas that are enclosed only with fencing (free-range fowl).
Unfortunately, instead of spreading out in a distributed manner throughout a poultry house or within an enclosed outdoor area, fowl tend to congregate near the limiting walls, leaving other interior areas sparsely populated. This creates many problems:
When birds are crowded together and their resting and active cycles are not synchronized, and resting birds will be frequently disturbed by active birds. This will cause psychological stress in the birds attempting to rest, resulting in inadequate sleep and possible immunosuppression and increased susceptibility to disease. PA1 When crowded together, birds will be at increased risk of stepping on one another, causing skin scratches. This can lead to infection, which in turn can lead to downgrading or condemnation of the carcasses due to cellulitis, and sometimes death of the birds. PA1 Birds congregating at the periphery of the poultry house will result not only in inefficient use of available space, but in high concentration of droppings and reduced litter quality in these areas. Wet and caked litter with high nitrogen content from those droppings will cause skin lesions, especially on heavy poultry reared for meat (broiler chickens, turkeys). Skin lesions include breast blister and hock burns. These lesions must be trimmed at the processing plant, resulting in downgrading and loss of product. PA1 In hot weather, birds that are crowded together around the periphery of the poultry house will have difficulty in thermoregulating, resulting in discomfort, physiological stress response, immunosuppression (increased susceptibility to disease), reduced feed intake, reduced growth ratio (in young birds), reduced egg production (adult females), and death in severe situations. PA1 Birds located in the less populated areas of the poultry house, and lacking nearby cover, are at increased risk of injury from feather-pecking birds, cannibalistic birds and aggressive birds. Such birds are also at increased risk of predation by arial and ground predators. They are less likely to go outside and consume green forage. PA1 Lack of hiding places in a poultry house for breeding fowl causes females to be afraid to enter areas with high concentrations of males. The females who do enter these areas are mated in a rough manner by the large number of competing males. The females become injured by scratches and pecks from the males, possibly causing death. The females are subsequently nervous and less likely to enter the male areas for mating. PA1 If hysteria in the birds occurs, e.g., due to the occurrence of sudden noises or other unusual stimuli, a majority of the birds will pack together at an end wall of the poultry house and large numbers will die from asphyxiation.
A method of causing fowl such as chickens, turkeys, hens and breeders to relocate within a poultry house, or in an outdoor enclosure, and in particular a method of causing fowl to move away from the periphery of a poultry enclosure, and inwardly thereof, such that the birds will be more evenly distributed throughout the poultry enclosure, thus reducing the consequences of nervousness and even hysteria in the birds, is desired.